Dear Mr. President

Darfur Sudan was a peaceful place until a civil war started. Northern and southern Sudan has been fighting over religion, ethnicity, tribal differences, and economic disparities. The war has lasted for over two decades, and it is the second civil war between north and south. The results of this war are two million deaths, three million persons in camps, and four million persons displaces. This is a catastrophe!

Now that the elections are over in Sudan, we don’t know what will happen next. That’s why now are country should make a stand and tell the Sudanese Government that we are watching and all other countries may be watching too. In addition, I witnessed this catastrophe. The Holocaust museum has shown videos of the people that are suffering in Darfur. Women have been raped and murdered; children have been forced to kill their family, and people and their village have been burned alive. This is not what should happen.

Some may argue that none of us should help the Darfurians because they can take care of themselves. Here is its weakness; Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our live begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” I for one believe this statement is true. But in this case, what he was trying to say was if we don’t help the people in Darfur, the chaos that is happening in Darfur could happen to us, America.

Hatred is powerful but if we allow love and peace to overcome, the Darfurians can live their dreams. But right now they can’t because they are suffering and being tortured. Here are some ways they are being ridiculed. Starvation, forcible displacement, and harassment of internally displaced persons, bombing of: hospitals, clinics, schools, etc., being raped, enslaving women and children, being held captive by government support militias, and the list keeps on going.

It is clear that the people in Darfur need help. Mr. President, I hope you do something to help the Darfurians all across Sudan. They are being tortured and are fighting for their freedom. We the people of the United States of America must make a stand and stop this catastrophe.

Sincerely,

Jerod Barone

Subscribe

Get Teen Ink’s 48-page monthly print edition. Written by teens since 1989.